BWT to pay 40 Euro Cents dividend for 2009

10.3.2010 7:00
Mondsee

Net sales € 400.7 million (-2.3%)

EBIT € 26.8 million (-8.3%)

Net result after minorities € 23.0 million (+11.5%)

Dividend proposal: € 0.40 per share (2008: € 0.38)

„We have closed the year 2009 reasonably well despite difficult conditions and are able to propose to increase the dividend to € 0.40 per share due to the solid balance sheet situation. At the same time, we have created new growth potentials by in total investing € 44 million,“ says Andreas Weissenbacher, CEO of the BWT Group about the figures for the 2009 financial year.

In the year 2009, the BWT Group achieved consolidated net sales of € 400.7 million representing a decline of 2.3% compared to last year (€ 410.2 million); excluding the first-time consolidation of new activities the decline would have been -5.1%. EBIT fell by 8.3% to reach € 26.8 million.

Mostly thanks to a € 4.5 million one-time extraordinary positive effect from the sale of a minority participation in the second quarter 2009, the BWT consolidated net result after minorities grew from € 20.6 million by 11.5% to € 23.0 million. Without this special income, the normalized result amounts to € 18.5 million and a minus of 10.2% compared to the previous year. Earnings per share reached € 1.32 after € 1.16 in the year before (+13.4%).

Outlook

Andreas Weissenbacher: „As in the previous year, earnings guidance is difficult to give for the new financial year. On sales level, the effects from the consolidation of the pharma water activities will have a positive effect as in the year 2009 only one quarter was included, on the other side, the one-time positive effect in the financial result need to be balanced by better operating results in the new business year.” The final financial results and the Annual Report 2009 are due to be published on April 16, 2010.